Punch press guard



April 25, 1944. s MlLLER I 2,347,606

PUNCH PRESS GUARD Filed Dec. 17, 1941 tion to follow,

Patented Apr. 25, 1944 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,347,606 PUNCH PRESS GUARD Nicholas S. Miller, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 17,

4 Claims.

My invention relates to guards designed to provide safety for punch press operators, and more particularly to such guards as push the operators arms or hands out of the way in case they happen to be in the zone of the work when the ram of the press is taking an active stroke, and one of my objects is to provide a guard which is readily applicable to conventional punch presses as an attachment or unit.

A further object of the invention is to design the novel guard in a manner to be easily adaptable both for mounting on the press and for serving the operator to the best advantage and with a high degree of safety.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guard which utilizes a pair of sweep arms ordinarily occupying a small space in the center of the press front, but describing a sufiicient outward sweep when the press ram takes an active stroke to push the arms or hands of the operatorin case they are in the way-to points amply distant from the danger zone.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a guard which only receives the outward impulse from the action of the press, having an independent and cushioned action on the return.

An important object of the invention is to construct a guard of the above character which is simple, compact, adjustable and economical to produce. With the above objects in view and any others which may suggest themselves from the descripa better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a punch press, showing the novel guard mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a side view from the right, partly broken away;

} Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the main portion of the guard;

Fig. 4 is a view from 3; and

I Fig. 5 is a iragmental detail from Fig. 3, showing certain parts in changed positions.

Referring specifically to the drawing, a typical punch press is shown at It], its ram being indicated at H, its bolster plate at l2, and a pair of blocks projecting forwardly from the top of its frame at it. The guard attachment depends upon the ram H for its outstroke and upon the blocks 3 for its support.

Basically, the attachment consists of a channeled frame Hi which occupies a frontal position at the upper part or the press. The frame has a the left-hand side of Fig.

1941, Serial No. 423,386

pair of rearward lugs I5 at the sides, which are perforated in horizontal registration to receive a shaft l5, whereby the frame is rockably supported on the shaft.

The shaft 16 is fixed, receiving its support from a pair of angle brackets ll projecting forwardly from the press blocks I3. The tops of the brackets are secured at the rear to the blocks by bolts l-8 driven up into the same. The downbends of the brackets are perforated in horizontal registration to receive terminal screw reductions l9 of the shaft, these receiving nuts 20 to firmly secure the shaft to the brackets.

The lower part of the frame l4 receives a pair of laterally-spaced bolts 2i on which are pivoted a pair of pendent arms 22. These are extended downwardly with sticks 23 of wood or other light material, the sticks terminating in proximity to the bolster plate I2.

While the pendent arms 22 are in opposed relation, it is intended that the sticks 23 be staggered, and for this purpose the arms are recessed with receptacles 24 on the outer sides to receive the upper portions of the sticks, these being clamped in place by plates 25 bolted to the arms at 28.

The arms 22 have inward the lugs journaling opposed these nestle in cam hollows 30, the latter being in front of the frame [4 and retained by a cover plate 3| bolted at 32 to the frame. The slide has a downward stem 33 which makes a turn-buckle connection 34 with the press ram H, so that the slide 36 is operated by the ram.

The descent of the ram i l acts through the cam hollows 29 of the slide to crowd the rollers 28 outwardly in the manner indicated in Fig. 5, so that the arms 22 and their sticks 23 spread from the close or convergent position indicated by full-lines in Fig. l to the widely-separated positions denoted by dotted-lines in the same figure. This action is resisted by a pair of coil springs 35 located above the arms 22 and receiving pins 36 having rounded heads 31 at the bottom. The head of each pin seats in a cup-like socket 38 formed in a side lug 39 extended outwardly from the corresponding arm 22. The frame M has a pair of forward lugs 40 formed with socket M in the bottom to receive the upper ends of the springs 35, the pins 36 terminating short of the sockets M. The springs are compressed when the arms 22 swing apart, and serve to return them to their original positions when the slide rises and rides off the rollers 28; and the pins 36 prevent the lugs 21 near the top, rollers 28. Normally, 29 of a vertical slide arms from being inadvertently or mischievously drawn apart to an excessive degree and released to close with sudden speed or force.

Normally, the best position of the sticks 23 is with their lower ends a short distance in front of the punching zone of the press, so that the sticks may act directly on the operators hands to push them aside in case they remain in or enter the said zone when the ram is on th descent.

The attachment has means for disposing the sticks as stated despite varying positions of the supporting blocks IS in different presses. Thus, the projected position of these blocks in the present illustration-see Fig. 2sets the part of the attachment forward; and the frame I4 is therefore swung on the shaft l 6 to direct the sticks rearwardly, so as to assume the proper normal position shown.

The frame Hi can be device. As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the frame has an upward lug 62 at one side, the lug being tapped to receive a horizontal bolt #3 from the outer side. A quadrant plate 44 is riveted with its lower portion to the downbend of the related supporting bracket H; and the upper portion of the quadrant plate is. offset to come close to the lug 42. The said upper portion is also made with an arcuate slot 45 having the shaft l6 for its center, the shank of the bolt 43 passing freely through the slotand possibly through one or more washers lfibefore it threads into the lug 22. Thus, the tightening of the bolt fixes the rocking adjustment of the frame M and determines the position of the sweep arms or sticks below.

The novel guard has a number of advantageous features. First, it is a simple and compact attachment applicable with few adjustments to any punch press. Second, its adjustment is not only angular, but from side to sideby means upper set at any position to j which it has been rocked by means of a simple of one or more washers 6to center or adjust the posifion of the sticks in relation to the danger zone. Further, the outsweep of the sticks is instituted as the ram starts todescend and before it completes its travel, so that if either arm or hand of the operator is in the way, it is quickly swept aside before the punch closes on the die, lending the guard a high degree of safety. Further, only the outsweep of the sticks is mechanically or positively induced, while their return is by spring impulse, so that in case a stick meets or strikes the operator in the arm or band on the return, the blow is cushioned by the yielding of the springs; and the sticks being of light material, their'tendency is not to. accumulate force on the return. Further, the attachment does not encroach upon or interfere with any working parts of the press, being mounted on a remote and inactive portion thereof. Further, the convergent lower ends of the sticks occupy a narrow space and. occasion no appreciable interference with the approach to-the working zone or the vision of the operator; moreover, the sticks being staggered, they canally from points in front of the not under any circumstances strike each other on the return. Finally, it is apparent that the guard is constructed of few and simple parts so as to be economically manufactured and serve indefinitely without particular attention or repair.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minor changes and refinements may be made without departing from its principle, and I desire to consider all such changes and refinements as coming within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a punch press safety guard comprising a frame, and a pair of arms depending from the same and swingable laterally from points in front of the work zone; of a support attachable to the head portion of the press and comprising a pair of laterally-spaced brackets, and a cross-shaft connecting the brackets and passing through the frame to dispose the latter pivotally relative to the support, the head portion of the press comprising a pair of laterally-spaced blocks formed with substantially vertical and tapped bores, said. brackets being of angle form and placed with one of their arms under the blocks and the other arms in pendent form, and bolts directed from underneath the first-mentioned arms of the brackets to thread upwardly into said bores, said cross-shaft applying to the pendent arms of the brackets.

2. The combination with a punch press safety guard comprising a frame, and a pair of arms depending from the same and swingable laterwork zone; of a frontal shaft carried by said head portion and extending from side to side, the frame being mounted on the shaft, and means to adjust the frame along the shaft for accurately positioning said arms relative to the work zone.

3. The combination with a punch press safety and a pair of arms depending from the same and swingabie laterally from points infront of the work zone; of a support attachable to the head portion of the press, and means carried by thesupport to pivot the frame adjustably, said means com-prising a quadrant plate with an arcuate slot, an extension of the frame in proximity to the quadrant plate, and a bolt passing from the remote side of the quadrant plate through the slot and threaded into said extension, the fastening of the bolt securing the frame at any point of adjustment.

4. The combination with a punch press safety guard comprising a frame, and a pair of arms depending from the same and swingable laterally from points in front of the work zone; of a support attachable to the head portion of the press and disposing the frame pivotally for the adjustment of said arms between front and rear positions, and fastening means carried by the support and the frame and co-operative to fix the latter at any point in its pivotal movement.

NICHOLAS S. MILLER. 

